Olympic Champion Figure Skater Sarah Hughes laughs with her mom Amy Hughes, right, and family friend Ellen Halpern, left, at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting. The story of Hughes attending the opening of the New York Chelsea Piers facility as a young girl was shared at the celebration at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. less

Olympic Champion Figure Skater Sarah Hughes laughs with her mom Amy Hughes, right, and family friend Ellen Halpern, left, at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting. The story of Hughes ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. Drew Samaan, son of Executive Director Mollie Marcoux plays in one of the deep foam training pitsin the gymnastics center at the facility. less

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. Drew Samaan, son of Executive Director Mollie Marcoux plays in one of ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Lacrosse action at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut facility in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held at the Blachley Road campus which opens to the public on July 9, 2012. less

Lacrosse action at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut facility in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held at the Blachley Road campus which opens to the public on July 9, ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez holds her daughter Madison Fernandez-Geddes at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. Fernandez is the director of tennis at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. less

Tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez holds her daughter Madison Fernandez-Geddes at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, ... more

Jesse Betts, center, daughter of Roland W. Betts and an employee at the New York facility was at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. less

Jesse Betts, center, daughter of Roland W. Betts and an employee at the New York facility was at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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A skater practices on one of the two ice rinks at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. The Stamford, Conn. facility held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus on Thursday June 28, 2012.

A skater practices on one of the two ice rinks at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. The Stamford, Conn. facility held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. The facility which opens to the public next month, houses seven tennis courts. less

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. The facility which opens to the public next month, houses seven tennis ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Rick Caro checks out thr brochure for Chelsea Piers Connecticut at the ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Rick Caro checks out thr brochure for Chelsea Piers Connecticut at the ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus on Thursday June 28, 2012. Hockey being played on one of the two ice rinks at the Stamford, Conn. facility which opens to the public next month. less

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus on Thursday June 28, 2012. Hockey being played on one of the two ice rinks at the Stamford, Conn. facility which ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez holds her son Karson Fernandez-Geddes and talks to State Rep. Gerald Fox, III, D-Stamford at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting on Thursday June 28, 2012. Fernandez is the director of tennis at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. less

Tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez holds her son Karson Fernandez-Geddes and talks to State Rep. Gerald Fox, III, D-Stamford at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting on Thursday June 28, ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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David A. Tewksbury Executive Vice President speaks at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia, Roland W. Betts and Tom A. Bernstein were also part of the ceremony. less

Team members of Skyliners, a synchronized ice skating team, attended the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Team members of Skyliners, a synchronized ice skating team, attended the Chelsea Piers Connecticut ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. Thomas Nero, M.D. at the celebration.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012. Thomas Nero, M.D. at the celebration.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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The o lympic-size, 50-meter pool at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. The facility held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

The o lympic-size, 50-meter pool at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. The facility held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Caeleigh Santini from Old Greenwich works on her gymnastic talents at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. The Stamford, Conn. facility held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus on Thursday June 28, 2012. less

Caeleigh Santini from Old Greenwich works on her gymnastic talents at Chelsea Piers Connecticut. The Stamford, Conn. facility held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at the Blachley Road campus on Thursday June ... more

Photo: Cathy Zuraw

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Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

Chelsea Piers Connecticut held their ceremonial ribbon cutting at their Blachley Road campus in Stamford, Conn. on Thursday June 28, 2012.

STAMFORD — Chelsea Piers, the waterfront sports and entertainment operator in New York City, celebrated its expansion into Connecticut Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location on the city’s East Side.

Known as Chelsea Piers Connecticut, the roughly 400,000-square-foot facility was touted by company officials as being the “finest sports facility” in North America. Its doors will officially open July 9 with the launch of its youth summer camp program.

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See more photos of Chelsea Piers at www.stamfordadvocate.com

The opening of Chelsea Piers has been highly anticipated since the announcement in October 2010 that the company would become the anchor tenant at the 33-acre site on Blachley Road that once housed the headquarters for the hair-care giant Clairol.

Chelsea Piers transformed a former warehouse into a state-of-the-art complex it hopes will make Stamford a sports hub, drawing on affluent sports-rabid families from across Fairfield and Westchester counties.

The $50 million project has already provided the city with an economic boost. Pavia credited the company with creating 900 construction jobs, between 400 to 600 related jobs in other areas, and 250 permanent jobs in Stamford.

Malloy, who presided as Stamford’s mayor during Clairol’s last days, described the arrival of Chelsea Piers as part of the city’s continuing transition from a small manufacturing town to one that attracts a variety of businesses. “This marks the completion, or at least another stage, of that transformation,” he said.

The all-in-one venue contains two levels along with a mezzanine, and boasts an Olympic-sized pool, two NHL-sized ice rinks, and athletic spaces for an array of other sports, including gymnastics, tennis, squash, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, football and basketball.

Memberships for families start at $120 a month.

Scores of people attended Thursday’s ceremony, which took place atop an 100-yard turf field surrounded by a track. Attendees included city officials as well as community stakeholders and residents.

Among the special guests was 2002 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Sarah Hughes, who as an 8-year-old performed as an exhibition skater at the 1994 groundbreaking of the original Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

Also in attendance was Tennis Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez, who is director of tennis at Chelsea Piers Connecticut.

Roland Betts, the founder of Chelsea Piers, told an anecdote to illustrate the kind of far-reaching potential that lies within the company’s main users.

“We built this place for kids,” he said.

To showcase the gleaming facilities, coaches at Chelsea Piers invited youth athletes from the area to practice in them as spectators watched through transparent viewing windows.

Winston said that initially, the sight of an empty manufacturing facility created “angst” within the community. Residents, he said, have been pleased with the arrival of Chelsea Piers as well as NBC Sports, which is set to move its headquarters into an adjacent building on the campus next year.

For Winston, a professional gardener and arborist who sits on the city’s parks and recreation commission, the project has other virtues.

“It’s kind of the greatest form of green development to use an existing building,” he said.